2008-08-28 - A Unique Encounter
Tatooine: Mos Eisley - Spaceport This gigantic hanger area comprises a series of loading stages and repair bays, scattered rather haphazardly inside the enormous dome. Many of them are sealed away by pillars and walls of plastoid, securing the privacy (and secrecy) of the goings-on there, and a bank of blast doors prevent easy passage into and out of them. Droids and engineers form an ever present stream of activity from one bay to the next; while crewmen and captains perhaps linger in the alcoves and offices attached to each. One entire side of the hanger is open to the desert; the massive window providing room enough for several ships at once to queue for departure, though is it noticeable that rarely are there too many such ships in plain view. A command station looks down upon the hanger floor from a booth carved into the wall, and now and again the sound of a muffled speaker echoes instructions to the staging platforms. As such, it is not hard to imagine a quick take-off taking place in such a badly organised place; with or without permission from the command booth. The Unfaithful and the Maltese Falcon land on the Tatooine, Mos Eisley Spaceport, One of the Red Guards step out of it and walks towards Maltorus, "My master." he says and kneels before him. Maltorus watches as another man leaves and then watches the two ships land. When the red clad being bows and offers the title. He nods his head and says, "Welcome my apprentice. What news do you bring to me?" Erdal nods his head to Valen, "I sensed one which is strong in the force. I brought him here. I though You may wish to examine and speak to him directly, my Master." he says. Outside the ships, the Red Guard is kneeling before a richly robed man in white. His dark hair waves slightly in the hot breeze. Maltorus' icy blue eyes looks down on the giant young man. "Good, where is this one?" Sindri is relaxedly leaving his ship, his crew flanking out to cover him, and protect the war vessel. "Where is that idiot..ahh..there he is.." Noting the red guard kneeling before a robed man. "You my friend..are .." he gestures his hand to think of the right word. Maltorus turns and walks around Erdal and approaches Sindri. He examines the man up and down for a moment then just stares at him for a bit. "What is your name? Mine is Maltorus Valen." Sindri is aware this is not a good time to offer his customary hand shake. "Mr. Sidhus shall be fine Mr. Valen." He now ignores Erdal. When the dust settles from Unaani Stinger's landing, Jai hops out, wiping the already forming sweat from his face while he looks around. Erdal doesnt comment, he stands up and watches. Maltorus turns his head to look at Jai for a moment. He offers a nod and then returns his attention to Sindri. "Well Mr. Sidhus, are you aware that you posses a great gift? A talent that is untrained and has the potential to influence the entire Galaxy?" Sindri holds up his hand to silent further conversation. "You are going to continue on this path of discussion, inform me I have some latent connection to the force." He says, cutting off Valen in an annoyed tone. "I will now tell you as I told others, I don't believe in this, it is merely luck that some have." Catching the nod from Maltorus, Jai draws closer to the small group, eyeing 'Sidhu' with open disgust and something else. Just barely, the dreadlocked human manages to keep his mouth shut and his, now clenched, fists at his side. Valen chuckles lightly. He lifts a hand and gestures lightly toward Sindri. "Pardon me while I exercise my luck." Once Kalira has had the time to drop off most of the medical supplies to the clinic, store the rest under her guard to ensure that only those who NEED them have access (Not just so that they can be lifted and sold on the black market), Kalira follows her senses and returns to the Spaceport. When she does, she's quietly surprised by the scene that she finds and, as a result, approaches with marked caution. Erdal notices Kalira and smiles to her, and walks towards her, "Hello Governor Kalira. It is a pleasure to see you again." he says politely. Sindri holds up his hand to stiffle his crew as his mind is overwhelmed with damning visions, things that scared him beyond known space, but as it passes, he straightens his mind out and gives Mr. Valen a smile. "Sorry..the last few days have been stressful, but I heard you wanted to try your luck..a common expression in this galaxy..you care to try your hand at Sabbaac? I would care to learn." A snort escapes Jai as he watches the cannibal. Kalira offers a smile to Erdal as he approaches and rather efficiently intercepts her at the same time, causing her to slow and then entirely stop her from drawing any closer to the scene unfolding between Mal and this confident seeming man facing her brother. "A pleasure to see you as well," she murmurs in return, "and welcome back to Tatooine. I trust that you have found your return to be amicable and peaceful?" she inquires. Erdal nods his head to Kalira, "Ah Fine. I burned a few trandoshans at Dantooine and now I am resting here." he says with a smile. Maltorus laughs. "Very well." He chuckles and turns away. he faces Erdal. "This one is insane. I have no use for him." Sindri the sound of repeaters arming is suddenly heard when the perceived threat is heard against their captain, alot of repeaters. "Insanity? No, I merely am. I am a beast to my whimsical beliefs. If any thing, it is you who are insane, thinking some ...notion of this ever encompassing all tying power exists. A foolish notion at best, one which I've yet to see put to the test. I can wield a blade made of energy, there is no reason I couldn't. The jedi...the Jedi.." he suddenly seethes with anger. Smirking, Jai idly wonders if 'no use' translates into permission for him to attack the man. A frown forms on Kalira's face at Erdal's words and she's asking, "Did you really?" in a quiet voice when Mal's laugh reaches her and she turns to offer a touch of that frown at Mal then turns her attention entirely towards the green-eyed man before him. She is moving around Erdal until she hears the sound of weapons being armed and it doesn't take a genius OR a force-adept to have danger sense, and she hastily starts to back away instead. Erdal shakes his head as he notices weapons are armed and curses, "Excuse me Governor." he says to Kalira and moves his arm and hand towards sindri and calls upon the force... At the sound of blaster fire, Mal spins in place and drops down to a crouch. He raises his hand toward Sindri and uses the force to attempt to take possession of his blaster cannon. Sindri is looking at Jai with an almost pitying look as his Ship becomes a bastion of heavy laser fire. "You see, I know of what you call the force from two distinct outlets, one, the common Jedi Knights who preach good..the other..some peculiar robed figure who had me trapese across the unknown galaxy after some peculiar Artifact of some thing referred to as the Sith in your galaxy." He is beginning to fall back to the Maltese Falcon him self. "I will not share that secret with any other then the Robed One." Even if they manage to wrestle the cannon away, that isn't the true threat, now is it? With blinding speed, Jai rolls out of the path of the incoming blasters. The blaster bolts chew up the sand as the dreadlock human springs back to his feet, glowering at the insane cannibal. The moment that blaster fire erupted in the spaceport the Speakers security detail rushed out of their usual positions and bodily escorted Kalira away from the immediate focal point of violence. 'Escorted' over some rather indignant protests, but they have a job to do, and they do it. So while she isn't hauled out of the Spaceport she's taken far enough away that her guards form a protective circle around her yet remain in place to observe the incident. Erdal shakes his head and looks angrily, "Call of your men or I will break your neck." he says and squeezes the neck of Sindri more, he is very angry and keeps choking sindri... Sindri weakens momentarily, his weapon disappearing from his hand as it travels to his neck, though his eyes show the same damning will to survive and his crew unsure of what to do, the last time this occured, a being named Mandala had decided to bombard them from orbit. But, they know the hand gesture, and weapons lower partially at Erdal, partially at Jai. "I would say..' He says between failing gasps of breath. "They never got called on. But, if I die, so does every one here." He gasps as a few select few retreat back onto the ship. Damnable similarities, how can you tell command crew apart? "I would.." More gasping and possibly breaking musculature. "consider releasing me, for I do not fear what hells you would bring me to. In death there is much to learn." His voice still carries considerable command, despite his coming death. ::Face contorted with anger, Jai begins to run, his booted feet kicking up sand behind him as he attempts to flank Sindri. ::From his robe, the dreadlocked human produces a thermal detonator... Maltorus reaches into his robes and produces a black chrome cylinder. He depresses a button and a red length of pure energy extends. He yells loudly. "Enough! This ends now." He strides into the middle of the ruckus and just waits for the next person to attack someone. Erdal nods his head to Valen, "As you wish, my master." he says and lets go of Sindri. "Now, lets talk." he says, "Why are you acting this weird Sindri? You looked to be more sane at Coruscant." Sindri lightly recoils from the Light Saber, this he knows of. In fact, he recoils so far as to now use one of his crew mates as a Shield from it. "Coruscant is the heart of the Republic, there..every move ends a career. Out here..I can give into my hungers, nothing matters here..the core looks upon these damnable worlds Soldari, and laughs at them, as do I. The Hutts squabble over trivial things..drug addicts wander these streets..here, I can feed my wild ambitions and maintain my life with out recourse. A slave costs mere credits..yet to me..it is another cycle of survival." He hisses at Erdal. The yell breaks through the fog of anger clouding Jai's senses. Slowly he drops into a trot, then stops completely, his vision falling on the thermal detonator in his hand. A look of wtf crosses his face as he quickly puts the thing away. Maltorus turns to Sindri and says, "What you need can be managed. I can help you. Help you curb or at least manage your hunger. Now, have your crew stand down and board your ship," he glances at them with a dark fire in his icy eyes, "Or they will all die." Sindri lightly holds up his hand before turning to his crew, gesturing them aboard the ship, though, no doubt, they will likely watch, and do their thing if he's attacked. This is a true threat. "Wait!" Kalira shouts from behind the rather stubborn wall of her security detail then shoves rather firmly at the nearest armored form until she's able to get past. "I've heard of this .. man," she says, though she hesitates somewhat on that last word. NOT that she's questioning his gender specific anatomy of course, but there's some question as to what he IS entirely. "I've heard of him, and Mal, there's something unique about this man. Teaching him the way is one thing, if he's willing to learn it that is. But there's more to him than meets the eye." This type of thing would drive him to drinking again. Scowling, his face openly displaying his dislike of the cannibal, Jai backs away, headed towards his own ship before he violates Mal's order and kills the mad man. Maltorus turns and looks at his sister. "We must discuss this in private." He then turns to look at each in turn. "There will be no fighting in my absence. Is that understood?" Sindri turns his eyes to lock onto Erdal's eyes, A Stand off. "My weapon Mr. Valen." He says, not letting any one take away valuable property, he needs that property to take out Merchants. Kalira nods though she continues moving towards the unusual green-eyed man, at a notably cautious pace. She doesn't get within arms reach, she's not quite that reckless, but she draws close enough that she studies him openly for a long silent moment. The look she gives him, while technically it's a once-over look from head to toe, is not the sort of look that's usually given from woman to man. It's the look of a scientist, a doctor, studying someone New. "I'm Doctor Valen," she says quietly while giving him that studied look, "and at some point I'll get to be properly introduced," she adds before she retreats without taking her eyes away from him, reaching Mal's side within a few moments. Sindri is still locked in the stand off with Erdal, though he has to admit a few things. "Trying to jetpack amoungst slavers..bad move, though, the creative move of dumping the fuel, excellent. Unfortunately, that could have caused an explosion, I wouldn't try it again." He says as advice to Erdal before he settles onto the boarding ramp of his War Ship, starting to polish the Annihilator cannon he had used earlier, rubbing the layer of melted body fat and blood off it. Till it gleams again. It's a moment of brief dialogue, the sort that covers several layers of interaction: brother to sister, one professional to another, but what wins out is that Kalira IS a scientist and she IS a doctor and she IS a medical specialist and she wins this round - sort of. Wins but it's HIS guard that escorts her back then makes it clear that they're not going anywhere as her guard joins up then ranges around in a protective circle. "Well then," Kalira says once she's walked back and is within polite conversational distance, "I see that we all got off to a swimmingly marvelous and utterly polite start," and yes there's a touch of amusement in her tone of voice. She IS, after all, the Speaker of Tatooine - and this isn't the height of genteel society. Erdal Shakes his head, "I am not insane. I used it with right timing." he says to Sindri, "If you will act normal and dont take too much attention by others, you might be welcomed among us. But if you act like total nutcase, we will throw you off to the deserts of Tatooine without anything more than your clothes." Climbing back aboard the Sword of Justice, Jai waits until the cockpit closes and he is safely locked away inside before spewing forth a stream of curses that don't need to be written. That done, he begins search his ship for any leftover booze. Sindri lightly moves to stand, not looking up yet, and he makes a bow, that markedly amoungst Corellian, or other high noble courts, and despite her guards, he moves forward with unusual grace to gently kiss her right hand, along the finger, where a Signet ring would be. He takes alot of risks, but she is unharmed. "Of course Miss Valen." He says, retreating to the closer safety of his vessel, it is safer after all. "It is unfortunate, few can understand the necessary appetites of my species, or rather, I suppose, no one has viewed me in such light. Shall I say, my freakish mutations?" He is trying to find the word the medical community uses. Erdal Rises an eyebrow as he notices Jai, he shakes his head, "Jai!" The cockpit slides back open, a dreadlocked head briefly appearing. "What!?" He shuots. When he made his approach, boldly done and something that Kalira notes for what it is, Kalira makes a subtle gesture with her right hand and signals her guards to remain in place and resist the instinct to get all trigger happy. She does, after all, speak on a regular basis with diverse peers, ranging from Hutts to Tusken raiders and running the gambit in between. She allows him to claim her hand long enough for a light kiss where she wore the Valen Signet ring for so long while Mal was gone, then inclines her head slightly in a nod as he withdraws. "And still, you remain, uninclined to grace me with your name," she says lightly in return. "What is 'freakish'? First you must determine what is normal. Then you must remember that normal is nothing more than the median point between wildly diverging extremes." Erdal Shakes his head, "No alcohol." he says. Sindri remains eyelocked with Kalira, ignoring the others, at least, perceivably ignoring the others. "Sidhus is indeed my last name, but the first part would be Sindri, at least, this is the name I use in this galaxy, for I doubt I shall ever return to mine." He admits to her, a tinge of sadness? Likely not, given his knowledge of noble treatments, amoungst other things, he likely was a noble born, who had no chance of seizing what ever throne existed. "Amoungst your uneducated peers, my eating habitats are freakish, yet I believe, some how, you understand I mean no offense by them, I merely wish to continue living, as do they.." He says to her. "Wouldn't think of it," Jai mutters and returns to his search. Erdal nods his head, "Very well." he says and turns to Kalira, "Dear Governor, I will be going back to Coruscant." he says, "If you will excuse me." he says to Kalira. "Sindri Sidhus," Kalira enunciates in return, listening quietly as he speaks, but also to how he says what he does, and the traces o inflection and body language to accompany. She turns towards Erdal, head tilting back briefly and she smiles up at him, "Be well then, Erdal, and safe travels to you, as always." Kalira turns back to Sindri and once more focuses her attention on him as she turns over and around the words which he has shared, "You merely wish to continue living, as we all do, which is - in and of itself - a biological imperative. It is the manner in which you are required to do so, the.." and she pauses for a tactful moment, "the consumption of sustenance, such as it is, that greatly disturbs these gentlemen and those diverse others that are away of your dietary needs." Sindri lightly lifts an eyebrow at her words, which he finds most amusing. "I see..I take the life of one or two every cycle or two..and it is a damning quality..yet people in this galaxy, wage war and kill thousands in the blink of an eye. Those thousands lifebloods are wasted on planets..it is to me, you are the repulsive ones. Wanton waste of life, the desire to enslave whole populaces to whimsy.." he is almost baiting her to say some thing irrational. A touch of a smile forms on Kalira's face in return to Sindri's words, "You speak in broad generics, very imprecise of you, I must say. I am repulsive to you, but I have taken no lives. I have not waged war, killed thousands or spilled life blood to be wasted on planets. Thus and so, the 'you' is very imprecise, as it does not include myself in such number. Perhaps you should rephrase?" Sindri makes a gesture with his hand, to show encompassing all. "You, this galaxy, the peculiar sentients....I see killing because there is no recourse in the eyes of the leaders as allowed..this is why I damn slavery, it serves no end." He seems agitated, pacing. "You associate with some one who is very dark, though not as dark as the Robed One.." he assures her, like it's helpful. "Yet he still speaks of this force..this..worthless farce that is truly karma and Luck.." He says to her. "You could very well be correct," Kalira responds without a trace of sarcasm, in fact, she sounds entirely reasonable in her reply. "You could very well be accurate in your statement that this is all karma and luck. A chance whim of lady fate. A brush of destiny mixed with some badly rendered spice and all of this is just a haze of a dream from which you will wake, tomorrow, long enough to enjoy the pretty colors before you pass out again and forget all of this ever happened. It could be that that there IS not Force. That the different shades of the Force are merely the same thing viewed from different angles. Though, really, any system of power that is based entirely on shades of color makes me think that it's a religion invented by interior designers that were given access to only one color palate - white, black and gray - from which to base their entire methodology. Sounds rather infantile to me," she says with a slow shake of her head. Sindri nods his head to her, you see, he entirely agrees. "Yet, why then, is it the medical community was startled then over my blood in relation to this force concept? I wasn't obligated to remain on coruscant to find out, Senator Palpatine pardoned me from my crimes, and issued an apology for the confusion, I did the wise thing, and left to the rim before I went on my mission for the Dark One." If he doesn't believe in the force, what did the Dark One do to actually seemingly convince him to do as he said? "My peers get terribly excited when anything new and unexpected suddenly appears," Kalira suggests in return. "After all, they know EVERYTHING that there is possible to know about everything. They have all the books and published research to prove it. They are Subject Matter Experts," she explains, the capitals clearly pronounced in those last three words. "As experts, they know everything that there is to know. Your blood work presents," and she affects a gasp, "unknown and therefore unexpected qualities. Why.. unknown? My goodness, are you saying that you've presented to the S.M.E's something that they do not have a ready answer too?" She smiles suddenly, her eyes sparkling for a moment as she tilts her head slightly, letting that deliberately affected vapidity fall away, "They don't LIKE it when something unusual presents itself. As to what this 'Dark One' ordered you to do.. why would you follow the orders of some shadowy figure?" Sindri lightly blinks his eyes, he caught on the vapidity, though now he's half interested in reading these books to see what he can garner. He's a rather educated individual, to educated for the rim, to macabre for the core. "Simple, he offered several things of interest..power..control, and wealth. He said I would discover the force to be real when I could capture it to my whimsy, but more importantly, he offered to pay off my purchase.." He said, gesturing to his vessel, most certainly not this one, of course. But likely, he'd pay off this one now. "Some thing no other can offer, a true, tantalizing taste of your supposed force. If it had been a lie, I would have sold the artifacts he sent me for, and paid off my debts my self." He informs her. "There's that generalization again," Kalira says, " 'Your' , as though the force belongs to Me." She glances towards his ship and back, "So. You're unwilling to believe that the Force is more than just Luck and Karma. But when presented with the opportunity to Taste the force and, therefore, us it to your needs for power, control, wealth and access to all the pretty sparkly things that make life so worthwhile." She leans forward a bit and asks, "Were you promised a bevy of nubile virgins to see to your every need?" she asks, her eyes sparkling again with a hint of amusement. Sindri lightly cants his head and then ruefully shakes it. "Of course I wasn't, who would offer me virgins? I have no taste for such..wasteful lust. I only lay with those I truly admire and find my self attracted to." Honest? Absolutely, does it fit the sterotypes about him? Not at all. "But yes, I would entirely use this force if it was real, to ensure my life is at is now. Good." He says to her. "I would wonder at the nerve of your bed partners," She muses aloud, in a purely clinical tone of voice, eyes a bit distant as her mind walks through the parameters of the hypothesis. "After all, you do consume two individuals per cycle, how would one know if they were the so honored one to be selected for your dietary needs? Or does your processing system preclude such individuals from being selected for the necessary intake?" Trust a scientist to phrase such a question in the driest most unimaginative way possible. Sindri slightly blinks his eyes at the question, the lids closing sideways, see, another trait of a non human, no? "I do not eat any one, I only eat those who are warriors. If you defeat the warrior in battle, one must consume his heart to consume the soul and gain his poweress." An ancient tribal tradition taken to a whole new level out of sake of biological survival? Interesting, isn't it? "I see. So, now that the parameters are defined," Kalira says, giving Sindri a long look, pressing the line of inquiry now. "Only the heart, then of the warrior itself. What if you defeat a warrior that has more than one cardiac muscle, must you then consume both? Must it be consumed uncooked or prepared in such a way as to guarantee no secondary infections, or is that not an issue on your part? The consumption of raw meat, after all, has it's risks," she adds, and sounds like a PSA for a moment as well. Sindri lightly rubs his temple, she's threatening to make him question tradition, but then he has his normal snap to refusal to do so. "I just know what parts to eat, some thing tells me to do so..besides..I was told, by a hutt, I rival their digestive system..I suspect I can not fall ill to uncooked meat, I often eat the heart raw, though I am not above removing the liver and frying it with a nice bed of sullustan pasta with cheeses imported from this very planet. You'd be surprised the sharpness it offers..and it goes oh so well with a nice Burgundy with a decent Berry Brandy from Corellia..the berry is much to personal choice.." He almost speaks in a confiding tone. "I have discovered the best livers are drawn from a Bothan, they have a delightfully gamey flavor." Is he enticing her to try it? "Indeed? This would indicate an advanced metabolism and enhanced immune system," Kalira says, actually pacing slowly back and forth in front of Sindri as she puzzles through the data, filing away the culinary preferences as additional reference points to be discussed later - as time allows. She pauses, mid-pace, and pivots on one heel to face Sindri, "Permission to approach?" she asks in a very polite tone. Sindri blinks at her a few times. "Why would you not be allowed to approach? You are allowed as is any one else, I only stop those who threaten me, and despite your armed guards, I am in control here. Even a light saber can not stop my vessel's dying run against this very ground. So yes, you may approach." Even if some how they could stop him, he believed he'd win, he has an unusual indomintable spirit. "Protocol, sir, is key. There are two things that a lady never discards," Kalira says as she steps forward, "dignity and decorum. Your guards, my guards, and all the armed ships in orbit would make for a very messy moment in my spaceport. I'd find that most disagreeable. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get blood stains out of ferrocrete?" she asks, sounding faintly indignant at having to do such a thing. Again. And from the medkit at her side she withdraws a handheld biomedical scanner and activates the unit with a touch of a button then calmly passes the scanning field over Sindri while speaking, "A scan to obtain a baseline reading of your physiology and your current conditions. With this I will compare with what the other Specialists have found, and as I come to know more, then I will have more comparison to work with. The force may give you what you want, but the notion that there is only One way or Another, only two options? Preposterous." Sindri watches the scanner with a mild interest. "They did lie, I never raped or murdered my crew." He adds, incase Twi'lek did show up some how...which it can't, it's not like their spirits live in him. "The republic tried to have me sentenced for being different, with out actual proof..you see where it got them? I used to work for this world long ago...I even worked with Senator Dogma. A civilized ruling body can not hope to stop some one as tenacious as I have proven to be. It will come to fall, and another rise in it's place." Prophetic bullshit. Kalira doesn't even glance up from the scanner when he speaks, "The Republic does what it must in order to survive. The longer it does what it must, and only what it must, to survive the more it starts to do things merely for the sake of survival itself. Soon it will begin producing the situations in which the need for survival is paramount and manufacturing the conditions in which to continue operating under such geas." She finishes off the scan and glances up, now, "Nature abhors a vacuum, sir, and time stands still for no man, woman, government, planet or entity of any shape or constitution. " Sindri listens to her as she speaks, having a very distinct smile as his face, his fangs clearly exposed. "Then the republic and I are similiar, we both wish to survive, and have peculiar methods of survival. I do not like being faced with some thing so close to what I am..." For a moment, anger, but then an impleccable calm returns. "I find my self a trapped being, I do not belong in the rim, but nor do I find my self belonging in the core, you are the first bit of..Fresh Air I've had in some time." He doesn't seem to know if that is the right phrasing of words. A hint of a smile is forming on her face as Sindri speaks, starting to say something in return until she takes slow breath, her eyes half closing for a moment as she feels that flare of anger and it unbalances her for a moment. She exhales audibly, "Please don't do that," she asks in a quiet voice, "when your anger slips your control I Feel it, and it's very disorienting." Her eyes open again, blue meeting green, and her gaze holds a touch of resolve, "I have worked very hard for many years to achieve a measure of mastery over my own emotions. Control is key, in all things, and surrendering control for any reason is most disagreeable. I am flattered that I am a breath of fresh air, and I return the compliment by admitting that you are the first hint of refreshing difference I have had the fortune to be in the presence of in a long time." Sindri lightly conceals his fangs, remembering some cultures take that as a threat, though he never knew why. Some species waved tentacles at others, that seems rather disturbing. "To lose control in my self for a brief moment, but send another recoiling ultimately gives me control over a situation, a mere fraction of a second and I can take the initative." He reminds her, twisting the old adage back onto her, it seems they both have valid points on this subject, no? "You see, we both have different viewpoints, I must admit, I am rather glad we discuss them rationally, it reminds me of an old friend...who tried to run me down with a Light Saber on nar Shaddaa.." He laughs outloud at the image. Kalira tucks the scanner away into the medkit, secures it properly before she speaks again. "Irrational debates are not something I'd engage in," she counters as she steps back a few paces to give herself that requisite personal space again. "Your brief lapse of control only works if your opponent is sensitive to such things. I am, but not /as/ sensitive as others that you have no doubt met thus far. Tell me," she tilts her head slightly and studies Sindri again, "why did you travel all this way to meet my brother if you were skeptical of what he is offering?" Sindri lightly cants his head at Miss Kalira again, clearly confused by this last question. "I was not told why I was asked to come here, I merely assumed it was related to me aiding the one Vyrr. As for those not sensitive, I still discover they recoil when faced with what amounts to a frenzy, they seem unsure as to how to proceed." "Then.. are you operating under the presumption that you were sent her to meet Maltorus?" Kalira asks, sounding a bit startled. "How do you know you weren't supposed to meet someone else who just happens to be here as well?" Sindri lightly runs his fingers through his hair, a gesture to gain him a few moments of thought. "That idiot Soldari made it clear I was to meet Mr. Valen." He says to her, the situation can not be clouded, he is well aware of the why is here, and the hows of it. "Then you were told to come here and meet my brother," Kalira clarifies, taking the conversation around in a loop. "So, if you were told to come here and meet with my brother - but not given the whyfor to be doing this - you must draw up a reasonable list of reasons that this has come to pass. Aside from your assistance to Vyrr," and she clearly knows who this fellow is. Sindri lightly nods his head in quiet agreement. "I ran into the Soldari on Coruscant, he accused me of slavery, it isn't unusual for one to wish you to meet another on the rim. I possess a powerful warship, why would they not require my aid in one way or another? Is that out of the realm of possibility?" he admits to Kalira. Gand arrives from Tatooine: Mos Eisley. "Circuitous logic," Kalira mutters before waving one hand in a dismissive gesture. "All I mean to say is that before you dismiss the Force with a shrug of your shoulders and an orbital bombardment," and she levels a rather stern gaze on Sindri at this notion, "perhaps you should take a few more seconds to discern what, precisely, Mal is offering you before all of you get trigger happy and blow each other to smithereens. I reiterate, blood - ferrocrete - not easy to get rid of." Gand ambles on into the area, reeking, as per usual, of ammonia. Sindri lightly holds out a hand and then makes a wiping movement across it. "Had this place been bombarded, following my death, you too would have been caught in the blast. But at least, you could be able to claim, you died beside a warrior, if not one." Some comfort, isn't it? "At any rate, your friends do not offer things I do need, why think of possibilies that are undoubtedly, from a scientic stand point, Luck, and Karma?" he asks her. "That is comfort, I suppose, after a fashion," Kalira replies in a reasonable and genuinely polite tone of voice. She spots Gand ambling into the area and, while she is far enough away at first and does not taste the hint of ammonia from her position, she's well aware of his usual distinctive fragrance and she pauses to lift one hand to wave in greeting. "Because it is a waste of time and terribly inefficient to discard a theory until it's been disproven." Sindri seems to have heighten senses, his noise cringes a bit. "I smell Gand." He just states to Kalira with out looking, besides he knows Gand quite well..Quite well indeed..by scent. "This theory, has it not been disproven by other cultures that lack the control over the force?" He implores Miss Kalira. Gand greets, "Greetings. Ah. You discuss the crude sorcery of the jedi. A terrible waste of talents that could be more properly directed." "Lack of control does not, however, indicate the lack of the option merely because it is inaccessible to all," Kalira counters even though she turns slightly and smiles at Gand. Her security along with that of Mal's and, of course, Sindri's are ranged about in a rather broad circle with Sindri and Kalira at the epicenter of all this concentric security. "If I were to say to you that I could perform the most minute of surgeries and cause a man to live, in some worlds this would be seen as magic. But it is not magic, it is skill and access to the right data and equipment. If you can't use the equipment and the data means nothing to you, does this invalidate the surgery or negate the reality of it?" Sindri lightly paces in front of Kalira, his mind seeking the proper words to respond to her, it seems Gand stating sorcery was a possibility definitely stood out in his mind. "How can you say that these instruments aren't just some peculiar belief your culture developed in response to magic? What if it isn't the blade, or your skill, but the way it is performed, and sculpted, that is a foci for sorcerous might?" he suddenly asks Kalira, you see, Gand made him an atheist apparently. "How can I say that they are," Kalira counters. "It could very well be that I cause the healing and it is merely the tools are the props through which I channel my abilities to heal. They're nothing more than sleight of hand and parlor tricks while I make the healing Be simply by willing it so." Gand says, "Sorcery exists, it is there to see if you care to. Of course.. it was never meant to be used the way that the jedi use it. It's intent is for divination. To know where your prey is when there is not sight or sound or smell, only mist. Those who use it for other purposes risk insanity and death." Sindri looks at Kalira as she speaks, he him self, marched into a corner. "So, we have determined that the universe is an unstable thing, and that some gestalt consciousness drives it. Thus, we are mere dreams..but this Dream Struggles to be a reality, at the expense of others.." Then he turns to Gand with a sudden calm and surprised tone. "Did you not know Gand, that in death, many live? They live as true warriors, undefeatable by mortal means, yet existing in the shadows and light to defend ancient battlegrounds.." Kalira shakes her head, "All to vague for me," she says before rubbing one hand against the back of her neck. "And all good questions to which there are no simple answers. I can't tell you the Force is real, I can't tell you that it isn't. I can't prove or disprove it, in fact. And, thankfully, I am not required to try. You will do as you must, as we all do. There is much in what you have said that I do not understand, nor have the reference points with which to speak, and I will not pretend otherwise. Simply tell Mal that you're not interested, and be on your way?" Gand rasps, "This life-after-death may exist for mammals, this Gand would not know one way or the other." Sindri turns sharply snap-to-heel, military precision at Kalira's last words, he suddenly seems upset, angered, disappointed, if Kalira didn't know better, it's almost as if she scolded a young pet puppy. "I will suffer tutelage, only because I find you a peculiar ..mammal as Gand would say it. You and I have much to learn about my self, and if in the end, nothing comes of this Force Business, you may yet publish a treatise about me." He says, even Gand might note the general attitude of a kicked puppy, and trying to save face and dignity. Kalira's eyes narrow ever so slightly at Sindri replies, following his statement and his unique logic to the end before she nods slowly. "Thus and so, we are settled then. You will endure Mal's teachings, as such, until either the Force is proven or disproven to your satisfaction. In the process we, that being you and I, will learn what more we can about your unique physiology and in the even that nothing comes of your studies with Mal then I, at the least, will have something worthy of publishing. Settled." Sindri lightly nods, extending a gentle soft, uncalloused hand, likely just another byproduct of his captain status, and how his body works, it regenerates it self the best it can. "Do you want to tell him, or shall I?" Now this is an important question, she seemed to know him, he hardly did. Gand wonders, "This Gand hopes that studying your sorcery will not interfere in the payment plan." Kalira accepts the offered hand, exchanging a firm handshake in return, though curiously it would be noted that while her hand is significantly smaller and delicate compared to his, her hand is not soft or uncalloused. She starts to reply with, "I think it would be best if you relay that, I'm certain that he will feel the need for a touch more of... dramatic conversational elements," she adds this last bit in a somewhat softer voice as she releases his hand. She turns to look to Gand with curiosity, "Payment plan?" Gand explains, "This near-human owes this gand a small sum of credits." Sindri looks at the Gand as it speaks, sighing softly and turns to Kalira, momentarily teasingly adopting Gand's speech style. "This one Owes Gand substational monetary means for the vessel this one Pilots. The Amount comes to 12500 every two weeks, or 25000 every cycle of Coruscant time." He says to Kalira, he seems to have fun with the Gand's speech pattern, likely because it is so straight forward. "This one finds due to lack of commerce from poor Republic planning, it is hard to procure the amount of Credits, this one worries he may need to be with out a vessel to captain again. A most unfortunate situation for this one." "Well.." Kalira says slowly, her eyes narrowing again ever so slightly as she studies first Gand and then Sindri and back, "let me test my understanding. Sindri, here, must earn at least 25000 every cycle in order to properly repay the debt owed to Gand. Sindri is unable to do this via the customary systems due to bad planning on the part of the Republic, and therefor is caught in a financial bit of quick sand. Tell me, does Sindri have any experience in the avenue of being, say, a body guard?" Gand rasps, "This Gand will reverse the transaction if the near-human cannot make the first payment." Sindri lightly snaps his wrist into a cutting motion and suddenly his Guard move into a semi circle and he steps forward, suddenly, even Mal's men probably look poorly trained. "I do not know if what I do is what you say..body guarding, but I know how to stand in front of a Noble or Dignitary and be shot." He says, his crew though, is keeping their weapons at a nice parade rest. "They follow me with out question. But as The Gand points out, it is a moot point, I will be unable to afford the first payment..nothing to rob out in the void except my own screaming desires of their fruitation." "Then I'll hire you, and that will enable you to pay Gand. A mutually beneficial arrangement to all, I should say," Kalira says promptly. "How much is owed at this precise moment?" Gand says, "He has paid fifteen hundred credits so far." Sindri lightly nods to Gands' words, he is the bookie Insect. "Indeed, The gand took a gamble, as you are, by hiring me. But, on the other hand, I've never been known to go back on arrangements with employers." With an exchange of credits, from Kalira to Gand, Sindri's finncial 'security' is assured and Sindri's presence as a bodyguard is begun. Category:August 2008 RP Logs